A Change of Pace
by yoholindsayyoho
Summary: (Contains minor spoilers for those who haven't been watching season 2) After Alejandro's death, Odessa finds employment (and friendship) with another Beverly Hills household.
1. Chapter 1

_Wanted: Live-in house manager_

_Duties include: overseeing household staff, keeping track of accounts, tracking household budget, organizing schedules, etc._

_Must be able to handle high-stress situations_

_Pay will be negotiated based on experience_

Odessa Burakov sighed as she reread the advertisement she had clipped from the paper. This was exactly the sort of work she had wanted to avoid, but it was what she was good at, and she was desperate.

Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, she watched the scenery go by as she recounted the phone conversation she'd had with the woman who'd placed the ad, hardly a week ago.

"Meredith Bochek." a bored, drawling voice had answered when she'd telephoned.

"Hello! My name is Odessa Burakov. I am calling regarding the advertisement in the Courier, regarding the house manager position."

"You're interested, I assume."

"Er… yes. Very much."

The woman sighed, as though the very task of speaking was too exhausting to bare.

"Bring your resume and a list of at least five references to the manor tomorrow at noon, and we will see. Have you got a pen?"

The woman had then given Odessa the address before hanging up without so much as a goodbye.

The next day, Odessa had shown up promptly at eleven-forty, resume and references in hand.

The door was opened by a timid-looking young woman wearing a white apron over a boxy, drab grey dress that did nothing for her tiny frame but swallow it. Her wild, copper-colored curls were pulled into a haphazard ponytail. A pair of thick, round-frame glasses shielded her wide, caramel-colored eyes. All in all, she resembled a startled, underfed fox.

"May I help you?" the young woman asked, a nervous smile twitching at her lips. She had a thick Southern accent, calling to mind mint juleps and swooning Belles.

"My name is Odessa Burakov. I spoke with a Meredith Bochek about the-"

"The house manager position!" The young woman nodded earnestly. "Of course! Welcome! Please, follow me!"

The young woman led Odessa into the house, up the stairs, into a richly furnished office.

"Mrs. Bochek? Ms. Burakov's arrived."

"That will be all, Melinda."

The young woman had nodded sharply before turning and leaving.

Mrs. Meredith Bochek was a tall, slender woman with dark brown hair and dull blue eyes. An overall sense of distaste and boredom oozed from the woman. She had married Dr. Wesley Bochek, a plastic surgeon, at twenty-three. Now, after sixteen years and four children, nothing excited her, interested her, or caused her in any way to speak in anything other than monotone.

After glancing over Odessa's resume, Mrs. Bochek had asked Odessa a few vague questions about her skills and work history.

Not ten minutes later, the woman who had answered the door was escorting Odessa back out.

"Thank you, Melinda." Odessa had said politely they were at the front door.

The young woman's cheeks had flushed.

"Jamie." She whispered. "My name's Jamie."

"Oh! I'm sorry." Odessa smiled kindly. "Did you just start working here?"

Jamie shook her head.

"I've been here for two years." She smiled sadly. "She calls me Melinda, Maria, Wendy…" She shrugged. "I just answer to everything now."

A few days later, Odessa received a call from Mrs. Bochek.

The job was hers if she could start the next day.

And now, here she was on the way to her new life. Carmen had helped her pack her things, and had given her an open invitation to "meet at the park and bitch about her boss" with she and her friends.

When the cab pulled up in front of the Bochek estate, Odessa was rather amused to see Jamie, the young woman from before, sitting on the front steps, springing to her feet when Odessa stepped out.

She sprinted over, followed by a tall man in a dark grey suit.

"Ms. Burakov!" Jamie smiled. "Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Jamie. And please, call me Odessa." Odessa couldn't help but like the little redhead. The young woman's childlike appearance and innocent, expressive eyes made her previously unused maternal instincts kick in.

The tall man behind Jamie offered Odessa his hand.

"John Katsaros." He said, his voice gruff and friendly. "I'm the Bochek's butler."

At roughly six foot six and two hundred pounds, John was built like a tank. His dark hair was speckled with grey, as was his thick, neatly trimmed beard. His olive skin was rough and lined with age, but his twinkling, dark green eyes made him seem younger.

"A pleasure." Odessa smiled.

"May I take your bags?"

"Oh. Er, certainly. Thank you."

"I'll give you a tour of the estate, as well. Can't have you getting lost." He smiled kindly at Jamie. "If you've finished the floors, you can come, as well, Jamie."

Jamie beamed, her eyes suddenly glittering.

"Finished 'em? I annihilated 'em!"

John chuckled, reaching out with his free hand to ruffle Jamie's hair.

"Allons-y, darlings!" He strode purposefully into the house. Odessa followed, bemused. Jamie brought up the rear.

"Mark, will you bring Odessa's bags to her room?" John handed the bags to the young man lingering just inside the door. "Odessa, this is my son and assistant, Mark."

Mark was much, much shorter than his father, and his hair was much longer. His face was the same though, minus the aging. Mark's demeanor, however, was completely different: While John was open and jovial, Mark seemed more withdrawn and serious. He kept his eyes on the floor, his jaw set tight.

"Hello, Mark." Odessa offered her hand, but Mark simply gave her a tight smile and marched stiffly upstairs with her bags.

"You'll have to forgive Mark." John said quietly. "He's… he's a little… different. Doesn't take kindly to people."

"Took him ages before he'd let me braid his hair." Jamie piped up.

"He only let you because you had a knife." John smirked down at Odessa. "Word of caution, Odessa: When Jamie drinks, she starts thinking she's Batman. It's… scary, but hilarious. I'll show you the videos later on."

Odessa blinked, frowning.

"Aren't you a bit young to be drinking?" she asked carefully.

Jamie giggled, her cheeks going pink.

"How old do you think I am, Ms. Odessa?"

"Eighteen? Nineteen?"

"Close. I'm twenty-two."

"…You look…"

"Twelve. I know." Jamie rolled her eyes. "I have good genes for when I'm older. For now, though, it's killing me."

John led them through the house, pointing out each room, describing its use, giving a vague description of what work was to be done in it…

The house was enormous. Mr. Bochek was clearly a top-notch surgeon. He had every luxury a man could want, as well as whatever his wife and children wanted.

By the end of the tour, Odessa was out of breath. She'd tried hard to hide her limp, but she knew they'd noticed, as John had slowed his pace and Jamie was hanging back by her.

The last stop was back in Mrs. Bochek's office, where John and Jamie left her side to return to their duties.

Instead of giving Odessa a chance to get settled, Mrs. Bochek simply shoved a box of receipts at her.

"Account information is in there. Get it balanced."

And that was that.

Odessa sighed, taking the box to her room to get started.

It was going to be a long first day.


	2. Chapter 2

That night, Odessa found herself pacing around her new room. She'd balanced the account, and then she'd rebalanced it just to be sure.

By the time she had finished, it was ten o'clock at night. Knowing Mrs. Bochek would be in bed, she'd brought the box of receipts, along with a printout of the balanced account, to the woman's office and set them down on the desk before returning to her room and changing into her pajamas.

She'd always had trouble getting to sleep in a new place. It was difficult, to say the least. Damn near impossible.

She'd tried lying down and forcing herself to sleep, but that hadn't done anything but annoyed her.

And so, she paced.

At midnight, she heard a soft knock at her door. Frowning, she padded over to investigate, poking her head out.

Standing in the hall, wearing fuzzy pink pajama bottoms and holding two steaming mugs, was Jamie.

She offered Odessa a sweet, hesitant smile. Odessa caught a glimpse of a gleam of metal on the younger woman's teeth. A retainer?

"I heard you pacing. Can't sleep?" she asked quietly.

She spoke with a slight lisp from the retainer.

"Oh, er, no." Odessa laughed softly. "I'm just a bit nervous, being in a new place. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"Oh, you didn't disturb me! I was awake. I… I couldn't sleep either." She held out a mug. "Tea?"

"Oh. Thank you." Odessa took the mug, inhaling the steam. "Chamomile?"

"Sure is."

Odessa smiled.

"Mmm, thank you. Would you like to come in and chat?"

"Sure."

Jamie crept carefully into Odessa's room. Side by side, they sat on the edge of her bed, sipping their tea.

Odessa noted with a smirk that Jamie's feet didn't touch the floor, her lime green-painted toes wiggling inches above the plush white carpet.

"How tall are you, Jamie?" Odessa couldn't help but ask. Jamie flushed, letting out a quiet giggle.

"Everyone always asks me that." She smiled. "I'm five. Five-oh. Even."

"…Exactly five feet tall?"

"Exactly."

"…Oh, my."

"Yeah. I need a booster seat when I drive."

Odessa laughed.

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I was." Jamie shrugged. "Without it, I can't see over the hood."

Odessa laughed.

"That's… adorable, honestly." She smiled. "So, you said you've worked here for… two years?"

"Mmhmm." Jamie nodded.

"What did you do before that?"

"I was a student at UL."

"…University of Louisiana?" Jamie nodded. "Oh! What… um, what were you majoring in?"

"Engineering."

"…Engineering. And… now you're a maid in Beverly Hills. How… How does that happen?"

She shrugged.

"Life happens. What about you? Your accent… it's Russian?"

"Yes. I was born in Russia, and lived there until my mid-twenties."

"Why did you leave?"

Odessa blinked.

"Life… happens."

Jamie nodded.

"Life happens." She agreed. "So… you like to read?" She gestured to the books Odessa had stacked on the nightstand.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I do. When I have time."

"I feel you." Jamie leaned forward, inspecting the titles. "Dear John… The Notebook… Nights in Rodanthe… Anna Karenina?"

Jamie glanced at Odessa, quirking a brow.

"One of these things is not like the other…" Jamie sang.

Odessa chuckled.

"You expect a Russian not to read Tolstoy? Come on." She lightly nudged Jamie's arm. Jamie laughed.

"Fair point."

"What about you? Do you like to read?"

"Yeah. I'm more of a Stephen King fan myself."

"Stephen King? Wow. Big books for such a small girl."

Jamie pouted, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Listen, you Russian bimbo…"

"I'm all ears, Midget."

Both women burst into laughter.

"Okay, I like you. You can stay." Jamie gingerly slid her arm around Odessa to give her a hug.

Odessa smiled.

"Well, I'm glad I meet your approval."

"Welcome to the family, Dess."

"Dess, huh?" Odessa ruffled Jamie's hair. "Alright. I'll take it."

The two women drained their mugs as they chatted. Eventually, they reclined next to each other on the bed, still talking.

They stayed on safe topics: Odessa told Jamie about her life in Beverly Hills, about working for the late Alejandro Rubio and the rising sensation Carmen Luna. Jamie told Odessa about living in Louisiana, about growing up in the Deep South and how different it was compared to California.

Odessa learned very quickly that Jamie would clam up at any mention of her college years, often turning red and rapidly changing the subject.

Odessa felt herself growing drowsy as they continued talking. Her eyes grew heavy, and soon she was drifting off, her head nestled against Jamie's shoulder as the young woman talked excitedly about the New Orleans Saints.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Odessa woke up to the scream of the alarm on her phone at six.

Grumbling, she buried her face in her pillow.

"No." she protested.

As she struggled to wake herself up, she suddenly remembered falling asleep on Jamie's shoulder the night before.

Her eyes shot open. She looked around, finding herself alone in her bedroom.

She'd already left.

Odessa let out a sigh of relief as she got up, hobbling over to the bathroom to take a shower.

As much as she liked her new little friend, she didn't want the young woman seeing how ungraceful and sloppy she was in the morning.

After showering and getting dressed, she made her way downstairs, wondering how she should start her duties.

On the way down to the kitchen, she passed Mark in the hall.

"Good morning, Mark." She said politely to the young man.

He looked right past her, continuing on his way as though she didn't exist.

Odessa turned to watch him go, perplexed.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she found John with his arms around the shoulders of a short, stout older woman with grey-streaked black hair. She giggled happily as he nuzzled her neck.

"John, control yourself!" she chided, batting his hands away from her, her eyes twinkling. "Honestly!"

Odessa cleared her throat.

The pair jumped, their cheeks going pink.

"O-Odessa!" John grinned. "Hey, there! Good morning! I hear Mrs. Bochek got you started already!"

"She did." Odessa admitted. "I was up half the night balancing an account."

"Ugh. I don't envy you there. I hate mathematics. My Maria, on the other hand… she's a real whizz with numbers…" He kissed the top of the smaller woman's head. "Have you met my wife, Odessa?"

"No, I don't believe I have. Hello." Odessa smiled politely at the older woman, who beamed at her.

"An honor to meet you, Odessa! Such a pretty name!" She strode forward, taking Odessa's hand in a firm grip. "Maria Katsaros. I'm the Bochek's cook. Turn around for me, dear, turn around!"

Obediently, albeit hesitantly, Odessa revolved on the spot for Maria.

The Greek woman clucked happily.

"Ah, yes! You're such a beauty! But your leg, my dear, what happened? It's a very well-made prosthetic, but how on Earth did it happen?"

Odessa blinked, her cheeks burning.

"I… Well…" She trailed off.

Nobody had ever asked her so blatantly about her leg before. Was it really possible for her to just… tell her?

Maria gave Odessa a sympathetic smile.

"Not ready to talk yet, are you? Well, that's alright, dear. Just know I'm right here if you ever want to chat. I do love a good story." Her eyes twinkled as she patted the Russian woman's hand. "And I bet you've got a great one."

"Maria, are you torturing my new friend?" Jamie's voice rang out from the hallway.

A second later, her head popped up behind Odessa's shoulder, pouting.

"Don't make me throw water on you, witch." She growled.

Maria threw her head back, chuckling richly.

"Oh, I'm melting!" she cried dramatically, throwing a hand over her forehead. "Ugh, I supposed the maid's going to have quite a mess to mop up… Oh, wait…" Maria gave Jamie a mischievous grin. "Making more work for yourself, Jamie?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Jamie smirked. "Although, you're more useful to me as a person than a puddle."

She leapt around Odessa to give the Greek woman a hug.

"Good morning, Greek Mom." She murmured, kissing the woman's cheek.

"Good morning, red-haired bastard child." Maria hugged her before holding her at arm's length. "Your apron's crooked, Jamie. And I need to take a look at the hem of your skirt tonight. It's uneven."

"It's asymmetric." Jamie muttered before skipping over to John. "Good morning, Greek Dad." She gave him a tight hug. He responded by wrapping an arm around her waist and lifting her easily up off the floor.

"Good morning, little imp." He let her drop to the floor, where she lost her balance briefly, clinging to the counter to stay upright.

"Damn it, John!" she growled, straightening her apron. "I could've died!"

"Oh, please. Not a scratch on you." John rolled his eyes, smiling good-naturedly. "Well, Mr. Bochek had some things he needed Mark and me to move, and then he needed me to drive him downtown for some sort of appointment. I'll see you all later."

John kissed his wife before leaving the room.

Jamie turned to Odessa.

"Good morning, um… Russian friend." Gingerly, she hugged Odessa. Odessa smiled.

"Morning." She squeezed Jamie's shoulder before she let go.

"So, what's on the schedule for today? You're my supervisor now, right?"

"I… sort of. I'm not quite sure-"

"No, no, ladies! No talking about work yet! You two need to get some food in your bellies!" Maria wagged her wooden spoon at them. "Park those cute little tushies at the table and I'll make you some eggs."

"I'm… I'm really not hungry…" Odessa protested weakly.

"Don't argue, Dess." Jamie advised. "It's useless."

After an admittedly delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Odessa and Jamie got to their own work around the house.

Odessa couldn't help but admire the way Jamie worked. She was small, yes, but she was focused and precise. She didn't just _do_ a job; she _did_-_did_ a job, often redoing the same task two or three times before being satisfied with it. And the way Jamie zoomed around the house was… insane. She could be in the kitchen one minute, and then upstairs vacuuming the next. She moved quietly, and Odessa found herself startled quite a few times when the little redhead would brush by her from out of nowhere.

…

By the end of the first full day, Odessa's body and mind ached. Although a large part of her job was strictly number-crunching, she often found that she had to run from one room to the next in order to collect receipts and expense reports that the Bocheks left strewn about the house.

After Maria had coerced her to eat a bowl of stew, Odessa had finally retired to her room at ten-thirty, fully intent on going to bed.

However, after lying still for ten minutes, she realized she wouldn't be getting to sleep any time soon.

Quietly, she crept down the hall to Jamie's room and gave the door a tentative knock.

The door creaked open after a moment, and Odessa caught a glimpse of a light brown eye before the door was closed again.

Odessa blinked, frowning.

A moment later, though, the door opened again, all the way this time.

Jamie stood there, a white towel wrapped around her tiny body, her damp curls already frizzing out around her face.

"Hi, Dess." Jamie smiled up at her. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Er… no. But I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal. Come on in."

Hesitantly, Odessa entered Jamie's bedroom. The green apple scent of Jamie's shampoo hit her hard, clouding her thoughts for a moment.

"I'll put some pants on real quick."

"Um, alright. I won't look." Odessa perched on the edge of Jamie's bed.

"Dess, I don't really give a damn if you look. I'm built like an underfed Asian boy." Jamie rolled her eyes as she dropped the towel. "A spaghetti noodle has more appeal than I do."

Odessa kept her eyes fixed intently on her knees, her cheeks burning. While Jamie might have been comfortable with her nakedness, the Russian woman could say without a doubt that she wasn't.

Once Jamie was clothed safely in her pajamas, she plopped down next to Odessa.

"So, what's up, buttercup?"

Odessa smiled tiredly, gently sliding her arm around the little woman to hug her.

"Tired and can't sleep. What about you?"

"Same." Jamie looked up at Odessa warmly. "Hi."

Odessa chuckled.

"Hi."

…

The two women mimicked their position from the night before, lying side by side on Jamie's bed.

Something was off about Jamie, though. Odessa noticed that her smile wasn't as genuine as it had been the previous night. The younger woman's eyes were sad, almost distant. A slight wrinkle in her forehead showed that something heavy was on her mind.

"What's going on in that little head, Midget?" Odessa murmured. Jamie shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Jamie, I barely know you, but I can already tell you're a horrible liar."

Jamie turned on her side away from Odessa.

"I don't know you that well." Jamie's voice trembled slightly. "I don't want you to know yet."

"Know what?"

"How totally fucked up I am."

Odessa sighed, wrapping her arms around the little woman and pulling her close.

"You think I can't handle fucked up?" She kissed the back of Jamie's head. "Come on, Jamie. I've only known you for a couple of days, yes, but I'm very fond of you. I care about you. I…" Odessa let out a shaky laugh. "I feel almost like your mother."

"I already have a surrogate mom, and she doesn't know about this either."

"What about a surrogate sister, Jamie?"

Jamie remained silent, her body tense.

"Alright." Odessa said after a moment. "You don't have to tell me anything. I understand."

And, surprisingly enough, she did understand. They barely knew each other. Whatever was on Jamie's mind was… big. Odessa had no right to pry.

She'd hate it if someone tried to pry her secrets from her.

"I'm here for you, though." Odessa whispered before she could help it. "You know that, don't you?"

Wordlessly, Jamie nodded.

"Do you want me to stay here with you tonight? We don't have to talk."

Again, another nod.

Odessa nodded back, although she knew Jamie couldn't see it. She brushed the wild curls away from Jamie's face, watching as the young woman's sad eyes drifted shut.

"I'm right here, little one_."_


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few weeks, Odessa found her friendship with Jamie growing rapidly. The two women were seldom apart if they weren't working.

Every morning, Odessa would go down to the kitchen to meet with the staff.

(As the house manager, John had explained, one of her jobs was to assign tasks for the rest of the staff to do. Maria knew her duties, of course, being the chef. John and Mark, when they weren't answering the door or running errands for the household, doubled as handymen. Jamie, obviously, did the majority of the cleaning. The gardener came once a week, as did the pool boy.)

After their "morning meeting", Maria would assure that everyone was fed. Jamie would then walk Odessa up to Mrs. Bochek's office, where Odessa would receive _her_ duties.

Whether Odessa was balancing accounts or putting together schedules, she would work near wherever Jamie was working. If Jamie was dusting in the living room, Odessa would bring her laptop to the dining room table and type as Jamie chattered. If Jamie was scrubbing the tile around the pool, Odessa would spread her receipts out on one of the outdoor tables and work in the sunshine.

The two women would normally stop and have lunch at around one. Odessa would usually duck into the kitchen, putting sandwiches together for them. Now and then, they'd splurge and go out to lunch, most often to a small, family-owned place where Jamie was known as "little girl". Jamie would drive, of course. She took every chance she could to drive.

She was very proud of her truck.

The first time Odessa saw Jamie's truck, she almost wet herself from laughing so hard. The thing was huge; Jamie had to take a running jump to get in. The truck was an enormous, green monstrosity, horrible on gas mileage and even worse on the environment.

Jamie lovingly referred to it as "her baby" and, sometimes, "The Machine". She claimed once or twice that it helped her compensate for her tiny penis.

Despite Jamie's insistence that she drive every chance she got, she was… awful. She all but ignored the speed limit, and slammed on the brakes every time she had to stop. She also had a habit of shouting obscenities through her window at everyone who annoyed her: pedestrians, fellow drivers, street signs…

After lunch, they'd return to their normal duties, working until their tasks were completed.

By nine or ten, their work was usually finished. Most of the time, Jamie would make a pot of tea and take it up to Odessa's room, where the women would recline on the bed, chatting. On these nights, Odessa would fall asleep first, waking up the next morning to find that Jamie had gone.

Occasionally, it was Odessa going to Jamie's room. Jamie, despite her overall cheerful disposition, fell now and then into a kind of funk, growing distant and gloomy. She wouldn't chatter, would barely even speak unless someone else initiated a conversation. On these nights, Odessa would lie down next to the little redhead, letting Jamie cuddle against her and lie in silence, watching her fall asleep.

As Odessa's friendship with Jamie flourished, her relationship with the rest of the staff also grew. She came to think of them as Jamie did, as a surrogate family. Late on Saturday nights, Odessa found herself sitting at the kitchen table with everyone, drinking cheap beer and playing card games. Everyone, especially the Katsaros couple, seemed to have assimilated her into their lives, accepting her without question. For the first time in ages, Odessa felt she truly belonged somewhere.

The only staff member who didn't seem to accept her was Mark Katsaros. He continued to look right through her, not acknowledging her unless one of his parents was there. Despite her attempts at friendliness, he'd yet to crack an actual smile.

She'd mentioned it to Jamie after a week, wondering if she had done something to offend him.

Jamie had simply smiled.

"He's got some sort of disorder. Maria told me what it was once, but I can't remember. Some people, he warms up to right away. Others, he takes some time. Some, he never gets used to." Jamie sipped her tea, nudging Odessa's shoulder with her forehead. "It's nothing you've done."

So, Odessa tried to keep this in mind, staying patient and civil but accepting overall that she and Mark wouldn't be friends.

…

The first time Odessa woke up to find Jamie still in her bed occurred after a month.

The day before had been one of Jamie's bad days. She'd been silent for most of the day, and had picked at her food when Maria forced her to eat. The sadness in her friend's eyes had been too much for Odessa to bear.

She'd sped through most of her work, cornering Jamie when she had headed upstairs that night.

"Come lie down in my room." She'd murmured, pushing an orange corkscrew curl away from her friend's forehead.

"I need a shower." Jamie had protested.

"Take one in the morning." Odessa took her hand. "Hell, take one in my bathroom if you want."

"So eager to get me into your bed." But a weak smile played at Jamie's lips. "Okay. Just let me change. I'll be right back."

"You'd better. Don't make me drag your bony bottom out."

Jamie stuck her tongue out before shuffling down the hall to her bedroom.

Odessa went into her own room to change into her pajamas before lying down on her bed.

A tentative knock a few minutes later made her smile.

"Come in!"

Jamie crept in, lying down next to Odessa without hesitation.

The young woman's head immediately found its place against Odessa's shoulder. Odessa smiled, wrapping her arms around her.

"Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Jamie?" She kissed her forehead. "And don't tell me 'nothing', because I know something's going on."

Jamie looked up at her friend for a minute.

"I don't want you to change how you think of me." She finally whispered.

"Why would I?"

"I've only told a few people about it. They all walk on eggshells around me now."

"I won't think of you any differently, Jamie." Odessa stared down at her little friend. Jamie still looked unconvinced. Odessa sighed. "What if… what if I tell you something about me, too? Something… something that I don't like people knowing?"

Jamie hesitated.

"And you won't tell anyone else? What I tell you?"

"My lips will be sealed."

"Okay. You first."

Odessa nodded, taking a rather shaky breath. And then the gates flew open.

She told her everything: about her former career as a ballet dancer, about her life in Russia, about the cancer and the amputation. She told her about coming to America and getting a job with Alejandro, about falling in love with the Latino pop star and doing everything in her power to get him to notice her (and failing) before she learned about his preference for men.

"So, you see?" Odessa finally finished somewhat weakly. "If your view of me doesn't change after learning all of this… how could my view of you change after anything you tell me?"

Jamie was silent, her head still nestled against Odessa's neck. Odessa frowned, wondering if she had fallen asleep.

"Okay." Odessa jumped when Jamie's voice came up from the silence. "I'll tell you what's going on. Something… bad happened when I was in college."

(AN: I'm posting Chapter 5 on Friday!)


	5. Chapter 5

"I got into the University of Louisiana on a swimming scholarship after I graduated from high school." Jamie's voice was hollow as she spoke. "I went into the engineering program, but I was also on the swim team from day one. I had a solid GPA, and I even started dating this great girl. Her name was Sheila."

Odessa blinked. It occurred to her that she'd never really considered what Jamie's "preferences" were. She'd just assumed she was heterosexual, just like she had with Alejandro.

"Sheila was… amazing. She was an athletic training major, and we lived on the same floor in the residence halls for all of our first year. She and I had gone to the same high school, but we'd never talked, you know? I had my friends, she had hers. When we got to college, though, it was like… bam. There was this beautiful, smart, funny girl, and she actually… liked me, you know?

"So we started dating, and everything was… perfect. We were perfect for each other. She kept me focused, because all I usually wanted to do was party. I got her to have fun now and then, because she was totally fine with just staying in her room studying. We balanced each other out so well. I… I'd never been with anyone before, and I just knew… I was crazy in love."

Jamie paused. Odessa glimpsed a tear running down her friend's cheek. Angrily, Jamie brushed it away.

"We had this whole… perfect relationship going for a year and a half. But then, halfway through our sophomore year, Sheila started doing coke. She said it helped her study. At first, I was cool with it. I figured… you know, she puts up with my drinking and my toking, I can put up with this, right?"

"Toking?"

"Um, marijuana."

Odessa nodded, falling silent again.

"Well, at first things were cool. But the more coke she did, the more… unstable she got. She started lashing out at me a lot, getting angry when I wanted to do something other than sit around her room and watch her snort powder. She eventually started beating on me when she was really upset. I stayed with her, though, thinking it would pass. I mean… I loved the bitch, you know?

"But then, one night, she actually held a knife up to my throat and threatened to kill me, and I was… I just couldn't do it anymore. I knew she had a problem, and I loved her, and wanted to help her. But I wasn't gonna let her kill me. So, I told her it was over. I left her, and then I… I left a tip with campus security. An anonymous one, I mean. I just… I dropped a message off that said there was a girl named Sheila Johansen who was abusing cocaine, and she needed help. Next thing I know, the police are dragging her off campus kicking and screaming."

At this point, Jamie had stopped trying to hide her tears. They flowed freely, her voice catching every now and then. Odessa held her, not speaking.

"But then… a couple nights later, I was swimming laps in the pool because I couldn't sleep. I figured I could distract myself by practicing, because we had this meet the next week. So, I was swimming, and I didn't hear her calling my name. I guess she got away from the cops somehow, or maybe they released her. I don't know. All I know is… one second I was doing laps, the next second she was on my back, holding me under the water. I tried screaming for help, but I blacked out after a minute of trying to fight her off.

"I came to in the hospital. I guess someone had heard me screaming, and they got her off of me. But she'd been scratching at me, tearing out my hair and pieces of my skin. I had to get stitches on my face. The cops came and dragged her to jail, but she pleaded insanity and went free. I got a restraining order against her, but it didn't help me. I was too afraid to swim anymore. Every time I went in the water, I felt like she was watching me. I couldn't shake that feeling, like she was still holding me under the water. So, I ended up getting kicked off the swim team, and I lost my scholarships, since they were all swimming. I couldn't afford to pay for tuition on my own, and my family was pretty poor at the time, so I dropped out. Didn't leave my parents' house for almost a year, because I was too scared. I didn't have any reason to be, though: A couple of weeks after Sheila had gotten released, her momma found her on the floor of her bathroom. She overdosed on coke, and… well, nobody knew if it was accidental or intentional."

Jamie paused again, giving Odessa a wet, humorless smile.

"After that… well, obviously, I haven't been with anyone else. I'd hate to attract another psycho. I came to California just to… I don't know. I couldn't stay there anymore. I miss my family like Hell, but… I don't know."

Odessa smiled gently, hugging her tighter.

"Are you still afraid of swimming?" she murmured.

Jamie nodded.

"I get freaked out taking baths, so I only take showers." She admitted quietly. "And I hate scrubbing around the pool. I'm just so afraid I'm gonna fall in, you know?" She sighed. "I guess I just… I still keep seeing her face. I still keep thinking… what if I could've done something to help her?"

"You couldn't have done anything, Jamie. She was in trouble. She needed strong guidance. She needed… rehabilitation." Odessa kissed Jamie's curls. "You did what you were able to do."

"I should've stayed with her, though." Jamie's lips trembled. "Everything would've been okay then."

"She would've hurt you, though. She still would have tried to kill you eventually. Cocaine… cocaine is a dangerous drug. It takes over the mind."

"If I had stayed, I wouldn't be some… dumb Louisiana hick scrubbing someone's floors. I wouldn't be alone."

"You're not alone, Jamie!" Odessa forced Jamie to her look at her. "Look at all you have here! You have John and Maria, who absolutely adore you! You have Mark, who… well, he only lets his guard down around you. You have your family back in Louisiana, who love you more than anything. And you… you have me, too." Gently, Odessa hugged her. "You have me, if I have you."

Wordlessly, Jamie nodded, snuggling into Odessa's embrace.

The women laid in silence for a while longer, clinging to each other although the room was sweltering in the California August heat.

When Jamie fell asleep, Odessa watched her for a while, feeling tears prickling at her own eyes. There was no way for her to stop her friend's hurting completely. She could only ease it by being there for her.

She vowed then and there that she'd do anything she could to keep Jamie safe and content, and hoped that her efforts would be appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

"Jamie?" Odessa nudged Jamie, who was sleeping like the proverbial rock. "Jamie, it's time to get up. We have to get on the road."

Jamie screwed up her face, groggy and displeased.

"Uh-uh. You go." Jamie pulled the blanket over her head. "Stayin' here."

Odessa rolled her eyes.

"We have to leave in an hour, or we won't get to Louisiana until tomorrow night!" Jamie didn't budge. "This was _your_ idea, Jamie. I was _perfectly content_ to stay here on my own for Christmas!"

…

Four months had passed since Jamie had told Odessa about Sheila. In that amount of time, the women had grown even closer.

Try as she might to not alter her behavior, Odessa still found herself almost coddling Jamie at times, wanting to be sure that her friend was safe and happy. She now watched Jamie like a hawk when she had to walk by the pool, noting the way the young woman's skin went ashen when she got too close to the water, the way her knobby knees shook. After a serious discussion, as well as some minor bribery, Odessa persuaded the pool boy to add the tiles around the pool to his workload, eliminating the need for Jamie to be afraid.

Thinking she'd done the right thing, she'd admitted it to Jamie the night she'd closed the deal, as they laid together on Odessa's bed. However, her confession had been met with stony silence and a scowl.

"I'm twenty-two years old." She'd said in an uncharacteristically cold voice. "I can do these things on my own. I've been managing this long without you, haven't I?"

"I only wanted to help." Odessa had touched her shoulder, but Jamie shrugged her off.

"I didn't ask for your help!" she snapped, sitting up. "Just butt out, okay? I don't need you!"

Before Odessa could stop her, Jamie had stomped out of her room.

The next morning, Jamie had attacked Odessa with a bear hug before the morning meeting, apologizing profusely while, at the same time, thanking Odessa for what she'd done. Odessa, in turn, apologized for her actions. The behavior she'd exhibited was the exact kind of behavior she dreaded when telling people about her cancer, and she felt like a hypocrite.

…

In late November, the staff had been discussing their plans for Christmas. The entire Bochek family was jetting out to spend the holiday in Maui, so Dr. Bochek had given his "okay" for the staff to feel free to make their own plans for the holiday.

The Katsaros clan was flying to Greece to be with family, and Jamie was planning to drive to Louisiana. When Odessa had confessed that she didn't have plans, Jamie practically jumped on her, begging her to ride down with her.

At first, Odessa had declined, saying that she didn't want to intrude. However, after a week of Jamie's constant needling, of the little redhead listing off all of the reasons why going to Louisiana was, as she put it, "the only _logical_ thing to do", Odessa gave in.

"Just make sure it's okay with your family, first." she'd said wearily. The manic grin on Jamie's face unsettled her, as did the surprisingly bone-crushing hug her friend had sprung on her.

"I already did! Two days ago!"

…

Now, here it was: December twenty-third, six o'clock in the morning. True to form, Odessa was already awake, showered, dressed, and packed. Jamie, on the other hand…

"Come on!" Odessa shook Jamie's shoulder. "Up!"

"Don't wanna!"

Odessa growled.

"You're so… impossible!" she snapped, annoyed. She reached down, grabbed the edge of the mattress, and yanked it up, flipping Jamie onto the ground.

"What the fuck, Dess?" Jamie shrieked as she landed with a dull 'thunk'.

"I said _up_." Odessa went around to the other side of the bed, begrudgingly offering her hand. "It's time to get ready."

Jamie scowled, but allowed Odessa to help her up.

"You're a Nazi." She muttered. "A real fuckin' Nazi."

"And you're an inbred hick with bad teeth." Despite her irritation, Odessa smiled. "Come on. Into the shower you go. Do you want me to pack for you?"

"Nah, I got it." Jamie sighed. "Just put your stuff in the truck."

"I already did that. Now, I'm just waiting on you."

"…You're not human, are you?"

"Not quite. I'm Russian."

Jamie blinked.

"Well, I'm not. So stop… Russian me." She grinned at her clever pun. Odessa simply rolled her eyes.

"Right. I haven't ever heard that one before. Go." She grabbed her friend's shoulders and turned her towards the bathroom. "Shoo."

Still smiling to herself, pleased with her joke, Jamie trudged into the bathroom.

"Where's your bag? I'll get you started!" Odessa called after her.

"Bag's in the closet!" Jamie's head poked out the door. "You don't have to do that, though. I'm perfectly…"

"Perfectly capable, I know." Odessa strode over to Jamie's closet, throwing open the door. "I'm not saying you aren't. I'm just saying that, if we want to get anything done right, then I need to do it. If we want to start something, do a half-assed job, and then abandon it, then you can do it."

"Oooh, ouch." Jamie giggled. "Well, fine. I appreciate it, then. Since you're such a control freak, will you grab something for me to wear, too?"

"I was planning on it. Go."

"Yes, ma'am." Throwing her a cheeky wink, Jamie ducked back into the bathroom.

Shaking her head, Odessa began working on getting Jamie's bag together. What would Jamie need? Clothing, obviously.

She eyed Jamie's closet, thrown. She'd walked by it hundreds of times, but had never actually looked _inside_. Ten identical, plain black t-shirts, four identical pairs of ratty blue jeans, the boxy grey dress that she always wore while she worked, and a dark green dress Odessa assumed was for special occasions.

Jamie clearly preferred function to fashion.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Odessa withdrew two pairs of jeans and a couple of t-shirts. They were only going to be there for a few days. No need to pack the whole closet.

When Jamie flounced back out, frizzy-haired and wrapped in a towel, Odessa had everything packed but Jamie's underwear.

"I didn't feel comfortable going through your… er…" Odessa's cheeks went red. Staring at the floor, she gestured to Jamie's dresser. "Put some damn clothes on, would you?"

"God, you're such a prude." Jamie gave her a teasing grin. "Did you find me something to wear?"

"I, ah, had trouble deciding. There's such a variety."

"I know, right? Black t-shirt and jeans? Or jeans and a black t-shirt?" Jamie let out a throaty laugh. "Thank you, Dess. I'll throw something on, then we can head out."

"I'll… I'll wait downstairs."

Odessa strode out of the room, her cheeks hot. How the Hell was Jamie so comfortable strutting around like that?

A thought struck Odessa as she eased herself down the stairs. Jamie wasn't… flirting with her, was she?

No, that was ridiculous. She was so young, and they were just friends.

There was no way Jamie had… feelings for her. Sure, Jamie was a lesbian, but… Hell, just because she had a thing for women didn't mean she had a thing for _all_ women. Having a vagina didn't automatically make Odessa a candidate.

Right?

Odessa made her way to the living room, perching stiffly on the loveseat.

Jamie was… cute. She was pretty, she was funny, she was an absolute sweetheart…

But Odessa liked men. She liked big, strong men, with bulging muscles and rock hard abs. She liked the iron grip of strong arms locked around her waist, the sensation of stubble scratching against her neck.

Had she ever given Jamie any reason to think otherwise? She didn't know. As far as she remembered, she'd always been blatantly heterosexual. Why would Jamie think for a second that she was interested?

Odessa shook her head. She was reading too much into this. Jamie was just… friendly. Very friendly. And very… confident in her body. And why would she be interested in Odessa anyway?

Jamie could get any woman she wanted if she really tried hard enough. With those big brown eyes and that infectious smile, she could have her choice.

She could do so much better than a handicapped ex-ballerina with control issues.

Odessa was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Jamie sneaking up behind her until she'd grabbed her shoulders.

"Come on, Twinkle-Tits! Let's hit the road!"


	7. Chapter 7

(AN: Sorry about the wait on this chapter, loves. Combination of writer's block and psychological issues.)

…

The drive to Louisiana from California took twenty-eight hours. Jamie drove for a total of twenty of those hours, while Odessa, after begging and pleading with the little redhead, had been allowed to drive the last eight while Jamie slept.

The first few hours had been fun. Jamie had Lynyrd Skynyrd blasting through her speakers, and she and Odessa chatted about how the trip was going to go. Jamie, surprisingly, stayed only a mile or two over the speed limit and didn't shout at the other drivers.

However, as the conversation dwindled, Odessa realized that the Lynyrd Skynyrd CD was beginning to grate on her nerves. She hesitantly asked if they could turn it off for a bit. Jamie obliged, although she rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.

At one in the afternoon, Odessa closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. Conversation had stopped altogether, and the ensuing silence was unbearably awkward.

She didn't wake until four, when Jamie had nudged her to let her know they were at a rest stop.

While Jamie loaded up on caffeine to keep herself awake, Odessa bought a bottle of NyQuil at a gas station to knock herself out, which made the time just fly by, although the dreams she had were… interesting.

By three in the morning, though, Jamie was crashing hard.

Odessa needled her until she agreed to pull over and switch seats, muttering "stupid communist ballerina" under her breath as she drifted off.

Odessa had been glad that Jamie had fallen asleep so quickly. Truthfully, Odessa hadn't driven for a couple of years. Sure, she was capable of it. It wasn't like she hadn't learnt to adapt with her leg. She just hadn't had any real need to drive.

Now, at three in the morning, she was navigating this monster of a truck down the highway, inching along as she got used to the gas and brakes.

When Jamie woke back up at nine, she made no move to take back the driver's seat, although she now knew exactly where they were.

"Okay, make a left there!" she said, drowsy but excited. "We're just outside of Lafayette!"

By eleven, they were pulling into the driveway of a yellow, one-story house that made Odessa think of iced tea and swooning Southern Belles. She said as much to Jamie, who rolled her eyes.

"That's Georgia, Dess." She nudged her friend's arm. "This is Louisiana. It's much better."

They eased themselves out of the truck, and hadn't even gotten their things out of the bed before a red-haired young man came whooping out of the house, pouncing on Jamie.

"Ross!" Jamie shrieked, giggling as he spun her around. "Put me down, you asshole!"

"Girl, I ain't seen you in two years! You best not be tellin' me to put your scrawny ass down!" He tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of flour, whooping at the top of his lungs. "Big sis is back in town, baby!"

"Ah, so this is Ross, I take it?" Odessa said politely. Ross, Jamie's younger brother who was a foot taller than her. At eighteen, he was the "baby" of the family, the star of his high school's basketball team, and, as Odessa was realizing now, a stretched out, male version of Jamie, right down to the last freckle.

"You got that right, pretty lady!" Still hoisting Jamie over his shoulder, he strode over, thrusting out his free hand and shaking Odessa's with an iron grip. "Ross Fussell, at your service, ma'am. And you must be Odessa! Jamie's talked an awful lot about you! Good to finally meet you!"

"It's, er, good to meet you, too." Odessa's hand throbbed when Ross finally let go.

"Your things in the truck? I got 'em." With ease, Ross reached in and grabbed both Odessa and Jamie's bags from the back, swinging them onto his free shoulder.

He led Odessa into the house. Jamie made faces at her, bobbing up and down on her brother's shoulder.

"Is that who I think it is?" a woman's voice called from the kitchen.

"Hot off the presses!" Ross shouted as he led them in. "Jamie and friend!"

Once they were in the kitchen, Ross let Jamie down. She was immediately engulfed in her mother's arms.

Odessa shifted uncomfortably as she watched the warm, family scene before her. She recognized Jamie's mother from the pictures Jamie had shown her: tall, slender, and deeply tanned, with a long curtain of silky blonde hair spilling down her back.

"It's so good to see you, baby!" her mother squealed.

"Hey, Ma." Jamie laughed. "Missed you."

Jamie's mother released her, only to turn to Odessa and give her the same long, tight hug.

"Odessa, right? It's so good to finally meet you! Jamie talks about you all the time on the phone!"

"It's… good to meet you, too, Mrs. Fussell." Odessa said weakly, patting her awkwardly on the back.

"You can call me Ma, too, if you want. Or Linda. None of this Mrs. Fussell crap." She finally let go, her eyes twinkling. "Mrs. Fussell is my mother-in-law."

"Is Nana coming tomorrow?" Jamie asked warily.

"I'm afraid so." Linda nodded gravely. "Bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Fuck." Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Language, Jamie!" Ross ruffled her hair. "Impressionable ears, mind you."

"Oh, please."

"No, Ross, I agree." Linda scowled. "Nana's arrival definitely earns a 'fuck'. Not to mention a 'shit'. Maybe even a 'God damn it'."

"Mama! My virgin ears!" Ross fake-swooned, fanning himself with his hand.

Linda rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Odessa," She turned back to the Russian. "I'm really sorry, but we're a little low on space. Will you be okay sharing a bed with Jamie?"

"Oh, er, yes. Certainly." Odessa nodded. "We sleep together a lot anyway."

Ross let out a strangled laugh. Linda blinked.

"O-okay, then!" Linda beamed. "Jamie, I'm glad you've finally found someone!"

"Not like that! Not like that!" Jamie's voice squeaked as she protested. "Like, actual sleeping!"

Odessa's face burned as she realized what she had implied.

"Just sleeping." She confirmed quickly. "Nothing else!"

"You sure?" Ross drawled, giving them a lazy grin. "Y'all would be pretty cute together. Make some real pretty babies."

Mortified, Odessa glanced pleadingly at Jamie. Jamie's cheeks had gone scarlet, and she had taken a few steps away from Odessa.

"Shut up, would you?" she muttered to Ross, scowling. "It's all platonic."

"Oh, alright, alright." Ross gave her a one-armed hug. "Whatever you say, Big Sis."

Odessa could tell this was going to be an interesting trip.


	8. Chapter 8

As Odessa was sitting down to supper with the Fussell clan at five-thirty in the evening, across the world in Chania, Greece, it was almost midnight.

Mark Katsaros was lying awake in the bedroom he'd once shared with his four cousins: Samuel, John, Luke, and Peter. That had been long ago, when he was a kid, back before he and his parents had immigrated. He stared at the ceiling, remembering back to those simple days: falling asleep after hours of running through the streets with his cousins, listening to the calming sound of Peter's asthmatic breathing in the bed next to him, drawing shapes in the glow-in-the-dark stars his aunt had plastered to the ceiling when Samuel had suffered from night terrors.

Now, Peter was dead. He'd drowned when he was sixteen. Luke… Luke was gone. Nobody had heard from him in months. John was in prison for… something, but that wasn't unexpected. John had always been in trouble. And Samuel…

Mark shook his head.

No.

He wouldn't think about Samuel. He _couldn't _think about Samuel. The man who'd hurt Samuel… he was a bad, bad man. The man had touched Samuel in places he shouldn't have, and then Samuel went away to the house on the hill once his aunt and uncle had found out, once the origins of his nightmares had been unearthed.

Mark's mother had said that Samuel had gone away for a nice rest, but Mark didn't understand. That had been over fifteen years ago. Mark had only been five, but he remembered it so clearly: One day, Samuel was his cool older cousin, smoking in the alley and teaching Mark how to ride bikes and curse; the next day, Samuel was sobbing hysterically as the police talked to him, and then they took him away.

Tears trickled out of Mark's eyes onto his pillow as he stared around the now-empty room.

He wished he had Samuel back. He wished that Peter was still there. He wished that Luke would turn up on the doorstep, and that John would be released.

He wished he had somebody. He needed somebody to talk to, somebody to confide in. His father wouldn't do… he wouldn't understand. He could never tell his mother what was going on. Jamie… Jamie was special. Maybe he could talk to Jamie, but maybe he couldn't. What if she hated him after he told her?

_Don't cry. Only stupid boys cry._

Mark clenched his eyes shut against the chiding voice in his head. He wasn't stupid. He knew he wasn't stupid.

He willed the tears to stop.

He had to be strong.

He was a good boy. He wasn't a stupid boy.

* * *

Back in Louisiana, Odessa was listening with fascination as Jamie's father Dennis talked about his work as an accountant, a great step up from his previous employment as a high school janitor.

They were sitting at the table, having finished eating supper. Jamie and Linda were washing the dishes in the kitchen, chatting over the running water.

Well, Linda was chatting. Jamie was listening halfheartedly, occasionally throwing in a grunt or a noncommittal "yeah".

Until the topic turned to Odessa.

"So, are you sure there's nothing goin' on between you two? You seem awfully close for just friends." Linda teased her daughter, nudging her arm. Jamie's cheeks went pink.

"Ma!" Jamie pouted. "Stop it!"

"It's just not healthy for you to be alone all the time, sugar! I mean, after all that with Sheila…"

Jamie gave a warning growl. Linda sighed.

"I just... I don't understand why you haven't moved on."

"Ma."

"I know, I know." Linda nudged her. "But you like her, don't you? You get all bashful when you talk to her."

"Ma!"

"You two would look so cute together. You balance each other out so well! And I think I've caught her taking a glance at your butt a couple of times tonight…"

"Ma! Jesus!"

"Oh, come on!" Linda slid her arm around her daughter. "I bet she likes you just as much as you like her."

Jamie lowered her eyes, shaking her head.

"She likes guys." She whispered. "She likes 'em big, strong, and dumb."

"Well, I think she just might need a little bit of a nudge in the other direction…"

"Ma, I swear to God…"

"Alright, alright." Linda giggled, her eyes twinkling with pure mischief.

"I'm serious."

"I know, I know. I'm not saying another word."

But Jamie still felt a little uneasy. The look in her mother's eye was far from innocent.

* * *

After a few episodes of Law and Order: SVU and a few cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Linda and Dennis went to bed. Jamie and Odessa followed soon after, leaving Ross on his own to ogle Mariska Hargitay.

Odessa took in Jamie's childhood bedroom as she avoided watching the younger woman change into her pajamas.

Other than a few boxes that had been moved into the room, it seemed to have been untouched by time. The walls were painted blue with a black grid pattern that made Odessa feel cross-eyed. A number of swimming trophies and science fair ribbons decorated a shelf against the wall, along with numerous photographs of young, happy-looking people that Odessa assumed had been Jamie's friends. A pile of books laid on the soft, black carpet, their covers dusty.

Odessa plucked a book out of the pile and blew the dust off the cover: Principles and Application of Electrical Engineering, by Giorgio Rizzoni. She flipped through it, recognizing Jamie's cramped, rushed handwriting in the margins as she made notes on what she'd been studying. She noted, with a bit of a sympathetic twinge, the doodle on one of the pages:

_**(JF)+(SJ)=the truest. **_

And underneath that:

_**Mrs. and Mrs. Jamie & Sheila Fussell-Johansen.** _

A warm body cuddling up to her tore her attention from the book. She smiled down at the now-clothed Jamie, setting the book down and sliding under the covers with her. She slid her arms around the little one, sighing with satisfaction as Jamie's head found its place against her neck.

"Your parents are very nice." Odessa murmured. "Very, very friendly."

Jamie let out a dry laugh.

"Yeah. You're one of us now. You let Dad bore you with his accounting talk."

"I wasn't bored! I found it quite fascinating, actually."

Jamie smirked.

"Nerd."

Odessa chuckled, nuzzling Jamie's hair. "

Oh, right. I'm the nerd. What about you, little engineering student?"

Jamie's face flushed.

"_Former_ engineering student." She corrected.

"Oh, _former_ engineering student. My apologies."

Jamie smiled.

"You're forgiven."

Odessa tightened her arms around her friend, sighing happily.

"I'm so lucky to have met you, Jamie." She murmured. "I… I've never had such a close friend before. I feel I can truly be… myself with you."

Jamie looked up at her. Her cheeks went pink.

"Y-yeah…" She gave a nervous giggle.

Odessa looked down into the young woman's eyes, frowning. She'd grown tense in her arms.

"Jamie? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Dess." Jamie yawned, but Odessa could tell it was fake. "Just tired. Bed time."

"Alright…" Odessa kissed the top of Jamie's head. "Sweet dreams, little girl."

"You, too."

* * *

Jamie watched Odessa drift off to sleep, her cheeks burning.

Her mother had been right. Jamie did have a bit of a crush on her Russian friend. How could she not?

Odessa was absolutely beautiful. She was intelligent, she had that perfectly dry sense of humor, and that accent was, admittedly, extremely sexy. When she'd first started talking to Odessa, she'd done it with romantic intentions. Bringing her that cup of tea the first night she was there, that was her way of nudging the door open. When Odessa had fallen asleep on her as they'd been chatting, Jamie had been beyond thrilled.

But after she went back to her room, Jamie had stayed up the rest of the night, pondering. She genuinely liked Odessa. She felt insanely comfortable around her, something she couldn't say about anyone else so soon after she met them. Odessa would be better to her as a friend than anything else, she felt. Romance, if it existed, would only make things awkward.

So, with difficulty, Jamie forced herself to view Odessa platonically. She was relieved when she learned Odessa was straight, because that meant that she had literally no chance with her. That made everything so much easier.

However, Jamie couldn't completely kill the way she felt for the Russian woman. She was so much like Sheila, so serious and focused, so strictly by the book. But she had qualities that Sheila had lacked, qualities that Jamie had earnestly wished Sheila had possessed: Odessa was honest. Jamie didn't have to worry about whether or not Odessa was lying to her, as she had with Sheila. Odessa was also more compassionate, despite her general, Russian brusqueness. Jamie felt completely comfortable baring her soul to the older woman, and wasn't afraid that she would be ridiculed for it.

Jamie snuggled into Odessa's warmth, sighing softly. Odessa was her best friend. That was it. She had to be content with that. After all, she'd rather have Odessa as a friend than to not have her at all, and trying to make their relationship into anything other than what it was would certainly send Odessa packing.


	9. Chapter 9

"Psst. Odessa. Wake up."

Groaning, Odessa opened her eyes, coming face to face with a beaming Jamie. Her wild red curls were in high pigtails, and a red and green elf's hat was perched jauntily on her head. The young woman's big brown eyes danced excitedly as she straddled her friend's lap.

"Christmas time! Christmas time!" she cheered. "Come on, get up!"

Odessa growled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"This is payback, isn't it?" she muttered, stifling her yawn.

"Maybe a little." Jamie admitted. "But I can't flip you out of the bed."

Odessa chuckled roughly, her hands sliding onto Jamie's nonexistent hips, trying to nudge her off.

"Come on. Get off of me."

"You gonna get up?"

"Maybe."

"What does maybe mean?"

"Probably."

"Dess, come on." Jamie pouted. "It's Christmas!"

Right on cue, Ross poked his Santa hatted head in.

"Ho ho h-okay…" He smirked, seeing his big sister straddling the woman in her bed. "Clearly, I'm interrupting something." He ducked out of the room, snickering.

Her cheeks suddenly bright pink, Jamie scrambled off of Odessa.

"Come on, Dess. Christmas pancakes!"

Odessa sighed.

"Just give me a minute." She pleaded, sitting up. "I'm not awake yet. Besides, I have to brush my teeth. You know how my morning breath is."

"Brush your teeth after breakfast! Toothpaste and pancakes don't mix!"

Odessa rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine." She got up, raising her arms above her head to stretch her back. Jamie took the opportunity to throw her arms around Odessa's waist.

"Christmas hugs!"

As she stared down at the tiny, red-headed elf attacking her midriff, Odessa had a horrifying revelation: Jamie was one of _those_ people, the kind that took holidays way too seriously.

* * *

Ten minutes later, after a good deal of pouting and puppy-dog eyes from Jamie, Odessa was wearing a hat that matched Jamie's as they left the bedroom. Every time she moved her head, the bells on the hat jingled, causing Odessa's jaw to clench in irritation.

They joined the rest of the family at the table, where a stack of pancakes waited for them.

"Well, don't you two look adorable?" Linda cooed from her spot at the table. "I've _got_ to get a picture of this."

As Linda scrambled for her cell phone, Odessa noted that she and Dennis were wearing matching reindeer antlers.

With a shudder, she realized that it wasn't just Jamie… the whole family seemed to be Christmas-people.

She smiled tightly as Linda took their picture, her arm wrapped loosely around Jamie's shoulders.

* * *

While Odessa and the Fussells dug into their pancakes, the Katsaros family was seated on an old, stiff wooden pew in their former church.

Mark stared glumly around at the other churchgoers around him, all of them dressed in their finest Sunday clothes, spotless and straightbacked and pristine. As the _proistamenos _spoke of virtue and purity, Mark shifted uncomfortably.

He could never truly compare to the people around him. They were all so pious, so clean. They would never have done what he had did. They would never have let it happen. What he had allowed to take place was a sin, and he would more than likely go to Hell for it.

Next to him, his mother took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. She'd noticed his fidgeting, but had chalked it up to the fact that he was wearing a starchy, ill-fitting suit that belonged to his uncle.

After church, the entire extended Katsaros family walked slowly back to their home. The men spoke in gruff, somber tones about the sermon, while the women clucked amongst themselves about the latest gossip.

Mark hung back from the group, dragging his feet and watching the ground while he walked. With his hands shoved into his pockets, causing him to hunch sharply over, he might have resembled to an onlooker an old man struggling with the weight of the world on his back, Atlas shuffling along, desiring to look neither forward nor back, but to simply lose his burden.

As he walked, he thought of _her_. His stomach boiled, a concoction of disgust and guilt. It was his fault, wasn't it? He could have controlled the situation. It didn't have to be like this.

He could be normal.

A small hand tugged on his sleeve, tearing him from his thoughts.

His youngest cousin Daphne, at six years old, was walking next to him, her heart-shaped face turned up to look at him adoringly. Dressed in her starched white dress, with her golden curls bouncing on her shoulders and her wide, cornflower-colored eyes, she was a cherub. She gave him a sweet smile, clinging to his arm.

Mark paused, scooping her up into his arms. She giggled, wrapping her slim arms around his neck. She batted her eyelashes against his cheek, and Mark smiled. He hugged her tight, burying his face in her hair and sighing.

Daphne's quiet voice sang in his ear:

_Ειμαι το κουνελακι σου,  
Τ'αυτακια μου κουνω.  
Και σας παιζω το κρυφτο,  
Μεσα στο λαχανοκηπο.  
Δεν σας κρατω λογαριασμο_.

Mark kissed her head, recognizing the rabbit song his mother had sung to him when he was a child to distract him from his fits. Daphne's mother must have sung it to her, as well. Matching her tone, he sang the second verse back to her:

_Αχ! Κουνελακι, κουνελακι,  
Ξυλο που θα το φας!  
Μεσα σε ξενο περιβολι,  
Τρυπες να μην τρυπας!_

Together, they finished up the song in a whisper:

_Μη μου τα κλινεις τα ματακια,  
Μη μου κουνας τ'αυτια,  
Μη μου ζαρωνεις την μυτουλα,  
Εισαι μια ζωγραφια!_

Daphne then wriggled in his arms, wanting to be let down. Mark set her on the ground, and she bounded back to her mother. Mark smiled, his heart, for the moment, lightened.

* * *

In Louisiana, however, trouble was brewing.

She hadn't shown up on a broomstick. She wasn't wearing a pointy hat. She did have warts, but not on her nose.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, though, it was clear: a witch had entered the Fussell's home.

"Nana!" Ross ran to hug his grandmother. "Merry Christmas!"

Wilma Fussell was a four-foot-eleven-inch heap of cigarette smoke and disapproval. In her youth, her hair had been a rich, deep copper; now, it was a shade of red that didn't truly exist in nature. Her thin, sunken lips were smudged with a purplish color that could only be described as "fresh bruise". She wore a black sweater emblemized with a grinning cat in a Santa suit over bright red leggings.

"Oh, dear God." Odessa heard Linda Fussell groan under her breath. "Her and that God-awful sweater."

"Well, Merry Christmas to you, too, Ross!" Nana Fussell hugged his lanky frame. "Damn! Doesn't your mama feed you?"

"No, ma'am. Starves me. I only eat once a week!" Ross widened his eyes innocently. "Take me home with you, Nana! I don't know how much more of this torture I can take!"

"Ross Dennis Fussell!" Linda scolded.

"Don't let her hit me, Nana!" Ross ducked behind his grandmother, snickering. "I'm scared!"

Nana shook her head, smiling indulgently over her shoulder at him.

"Silly boy." She chided before turning her attention to Linda. "Merry Christmas, Linda. You're looking well."

"You, too, Wilma." Linda forced a smile. "I love what you've done to your hair…"

Nana had lost interest in her daughter-in-law, though, as she noticed the little redhead peeking out from the kitchen.

"Jamie! Jamie, honey, is that you?" the old woman squealed.

Jamie suppressed her grimace as she came all the way out.

"Hey, Nana." She said slowly, gingerly approaching her. "How's it going?"

"How's it going? Come here, you little elf!" Nana threw her arms around Jamie, laughing. "Honey, I haven't seen my little doppelgänger in two years! How the Hell do you think it's going?"

Jamie laughed, awkwardly slipping out of her grandmother's iron grip.

"Nana, this is my friend, Odessa." She took Nana by the shoulders and turned her to face Odessa. "Odessa, this is Nana."

"Friends, huh?" Nana positively beamed. "I'm not that old, Jamie. I know what you mean by friend." She shook Odessa's hand. "Nice to meet you, Odessa! How long have you and Jamie been together? I bet that's why she hasn't been down to see us, isn't it? Too wrapped up with you, huh?"

Odessa's cheeks went scarlet. She attempted to stammer out a protest, but Nana had already wandered into the kitchen, wondering aloud whether the ham Linda was baking would be "as dry as it was last year".

"I'm so sorry." Jamie whispered to Odessa. "She's…"

Odessa nodded, squeezing her friend's shoulder.

"She's your grandmother." Odessa sighed. "Is it too early to drink?"

"When she's around, it's never too early. I'll get you a beer. We can hide in my room for a while if you want."

Odessa nodded, wordlessly turning and heading back to the bedroom.

Linda watched them, smirking. For once, she actually had something positive to discuss with her mother-in-law: matchmaking.

* * *

AN: Kind of a rough translation of the song Daphne and Mark were singing:

_I am your rabbit,_  
_And I wiggle my ears._  
_I'm playing hide-and-seek,_  
_In the cabbage patch field._  
_I don't have a care in the world._

_Oh! Little Rabbit, Little Rabbit,_  
_A spanking you should have._  
_'Cause in the next-door neighbor's yard,_  
_Holes you should not make._

_Don't close your eyes to me,_  
_Don't wiggle your ears to me._  
_Don't wrinkle your nose to me,_  
_You are so picturesque._


	10. Chapter 10

Holed up with Jamie in her bedroom, Odessa tried to wrap her head around everything.

What had Jamie told her family? Why did everyone assume they were a couple? Was it because Jamie was a lesbian? Was it because they were so close?

Next to her on the bed, Jamie sipped her beer, watching Odessa over the rim of the bottle.

How to approach this tactfully…

"Odessa."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I hate to tell you this, but… we're never going to happen romantically."

Odessa blinked.

"O-oh. Alright."

"I know it hurts, but… you'll just have to get over it."

"I… I suppose I'll have to, won't I?"

"You're a very beautiful woman, Odessa, but you have some very annoying traits that I just can't deal with."

"Oh? Like what?" Odessa smirked.

"You snore."

"Since when?"

"Since always, I'm assuming."

"I do not!"

"Do too."

"Oh, really?" Odessa sipped her beer. "What else?"

"Well, you're… too attractive."

"What?"

"Yeah. We can't date because you're too pretty. I'd always be worried you'd leave me for someone better."

Odessa smirked.

"Well, that settles it, then. We won't ever be a couple." She kissed the top of Jamie's head. "Now, how do we explain that to your family?"

Jamie shook her head.

"That's the million dollar question."

They sat in silence for a moment. Jamie's head rested on Odessa's shoulder.

There. That had certainly done the trick. Their friendship was now strictly platonic.

"You know," Odessa suddenly said. "Being in here alone, while everyone else is out there, may not help to convince them that we're not…"

"Aw, fuck." Jamie jumped off the bed. "Yuck. No. Let's go."

Chuckling, Odessa followed her back out to the living room.

As soon as they walked out, Ross jumped up from his perch on the couch.

"Freeze! Both of you!" He held up his hands. "Stop right there!"

The women went still, frowning at each other. Linda and Wilma poked their heads out of the kitchen, smirking. Dennis, not getting up from his chair, rolled his eyes.

Ross pointed to the ceiling. Odessa and Jamie looked up. Jamie's face went pale.

In the ten minutes she and Odessa had been in the bedroom, the rest of the Fussells had managed to locate and hang a sprig of mistletoe. It was directly over their heads.

Odessa, her cheeks scarlet, glanced down at Jamie. Jamie's lips had gone white with rage. Her tiny fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tightened. She took a menacing step towards Ross.

Without truly thinking, Odessa's hand shot out. She grabbed Jamie's arm, pulling her back.

"Quick, like ripping off a Band-Aid." Odessa whispered, turning her head away from the spectators.

Remembering back to her stage training, she pulled the young woman close and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, close enough that, to the untrained eye, it would resemble a real kiss.

Ross whooped loudly. Wilma and Linda applauded. Dennis shook his head with a chuckle.

"I don't know any of you people."

…

When everyone had gathered in the living room to open presents, Odessa was shocked to find a stocking with her name on it being handed to her.

"We put this together for you as soon as Jamie told us you were coming along." Linda said with a grin.

Odessa was touched. Happy tears pricked at her eyes, but she brushed them away.

"Thank you!" She beamed, looking down at the bulging red stocking. "I… I don't know what to say…"

"Open it before you say anything." Jamie advised. "You may not like it."

Obediently, Odessa started digging through her stocking.

When she'd reached the bottom, she was laughing so hard that her belly was knotting up, tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks.

Five tiny sample bottles of Smirnoff vodka, three potatoes, a teddy bear, and a small set of nesting dolls in the shape of nuns.

"Because you're Russian!" Ross' grin spread across his face. "Get it?"

Still laughing, she got up and hugged Linda and Dennis. When she returned to her seat, Jamie was holding out a badly wrapped lump.

"From me to you." She sang.

It turned out to be a soft, black sweater. Odessa rubbed it against her face, savoring the warmth it let off.

"I can't wait to wear it." She leaned over to give Jamie a chaste peck on the cheek. "I love it! Thank you!"

Odessa's gift to Jamie, a copy of Stephen King's latest novel Revival, made Jamie squeal in elation and throw her arms around her friend.

…

That night, after Nana had gone home (finally) and the Fussells had gone to bed, Odessa laid next to a sleeping Jamie, her heart racing.

It hadn't been a real kiss that they'd shared. Obviously, it had been a stage kiss. But Odessa had noticed, just for a second, a glimmer of hope in Jamie's eyes when she had leaned in. Had Jamie wanted Odessa to kiss her? Had Odessa wanted the kiss?

She looked down at the sleeping woman next to her, the red curls obscuring her childish face. Gently, Odessa reached over to brush the hair away and couldn't help but trace her fingertips along the younger woman's cheekbone.

Perhaps they were growing too close. Perhaps she should pull back a little. She realized as she looked down at her Jamie that although they weren't romantically involved, their relationship was intimate enough that it often blurred the platonic line. With the way they were constantly cuddling with each other, how they teased and hugged and spent all of their time together, it was no wonder her family suspected that they were more than friends.

Odessa sighed, pulling Jamie close.

She'd never been one for physical contact. Sure, she'd been intimate with a few men, but she'd never been much for cuddling. After sex, she preferred to stay on her side of the bed, her hands folded on her stomach, not touching her partner at all. The few times she'd hugged Carmen, she'd felt awkward doing so, as if she was invading the woman's space.

With Jamie, though, hugging felt as commonplace as breathing. It didn't feel like an invasion; it just felt… nice. It felt comfortable. And cuddling with the little woman was wonderful: she didn't cling too tightly, but wasn't completely limp. She yielded when Odessa needed to move, and she didn't fidget.

Odessa closed her eyes, breathing in the green apple scent of Jamie's hair. She forced herself to relax, to forget about the incident with the mistletoe and to focus on getting some sleep.

…

In Greece, Mark Katsaros was sitting in the den with his father and uncles. The older men were all talking loudly about everything under the sun: politics, sports, weather, women. Mark was content with observing.

However, one of his uncles seemed to decide that Mark should be in the conversation, too.

"Mark! Got yourself a girlfriend yet?" the uncle teased him. Red-faced, Mark shook his head. "No? What about a casual girl? Someone you're test-driving?" Again, Mark shook his head. "Mark! You mean you're still a virgin?"

Mark shifted awkwardly, staring at his knees, and shrugged.

"Mark! Come on! You have to get laid, buddy! That's the best part of being a man!"

Mark stared coldly at the floor, his jaw going tight.

"Hey, leave him alone." John punched his brother in the arm. "He'll do it when he's ready, won't you, Mark?"

"You sure the boy's not gay, John?" the uncle asked. "I mean… it's okay if he is, but… it'd be nice to know, at least."

Mark scowled at his uncle, giving him a look of hatred he reserved for special occasions. His uncle flinched slightly, reaching out to pat Mark on the shoulder.

"Hey, Mark, I was just joking…"

Mark shrugged him off before stomping out of the den. He sat on the steps outside the house, fuming.

There was nothing wrong with him. He was a good boy.

…

Odessa woke up to find herself alone in Jamie's bed once more. Frowning, she looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

Three AM.

Where the Hell was Jamie?

Odessa got up carefully, tiptoeing out of the bedroom. She made her way into the living room, straining to see in the dark.

She wrapped her arms around her waist, sighing impatiently.

Where had Jamie gone?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to her friend, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her as she looked down into the younger woman's caramel-colored eyes.

"Jamie…" she whispered, taking her friend by the shoulders. "Come here."

Jamie slid her arms around Odessa's waist, standing on her toes to receive the kiss that Odessa was offering.

Odessa tangled her fingers in Jamie's curls, the warmth of the mouth on hers making her knees weak.

Jamie whimpered into Odessa's lips, her tiny body trembling as Odessa pressed her against the wall.

The women sank down onto the living room floor, their hands travelling each other's bodies.

Odessa laid on her back, pulling Jamie on top of her. Jamie's hands were cool against her flushed skin. Odessa slid her hands up Jamie's shirt, running her fingertips over the smooth, soft skin of the redhead's belly. She closed her eyes as Jamie kissed down her neck.

Suddenly, Odessa's eyes shot open. She was back in bed, lying next to Jamie, who had wriggled free at some point in the night and was now on the edge of the mattress.

Panting, struggling to steady her mind, Odessa stared down at her fully-clothed friend.

Boundaries. She needed to set some boundaries.


End file.
